Thermohydraulic heat regulator



Oct. 9, 1934. M. s. WENZEL I THERMOHYDRAULIC HEAT REGULATOR Filed July 29, 1952 Patented Oct. 9, 1934 NITED srA'rss Aren't orrics THERMOHYDRAULIC HEAT REGULATOR Milton S. Wenzel, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application July 29, 1932, Serial No. 625,793

1 Claim. (Cl. 236-99) This invention appertains to heat regulators and more particularly to a novel device for governing a heating apparatus according to the atmospheric temperature of a room or building in which the heating apparatus is disposed.

One of the primary objects or" my invention is the provision of a sealed cylinder containing a liquid responsive to atmospheric temperature changes remotely disposed relative to the heating 1.0 device and connected with an expansible-collapsible element operatively connected with the dampers of a furnace, valves of a radiator or the like, as the case may be, whereby upon expansion or contraction of the liquid in the cylinl5 der, the expansible-collapsible element will be directed eifectively for actuating said dampers, valves or the like.

A further salient object of my invention is the provision of a collapsible diaphragm connected 2 with the sealed cylinder with means for manually or automatically creating a pressure on the diaphragm so as to effect the liquid in the cylinder and thereby actuate the collapsible-expansible element to operate the control dampers or 25- valves, thereby rendering the heat regulator susceptible of being actuated according to the desires of persons in the room or building or according to a certain time, such as in the morning or night.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a heat regulator of the above character which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be incorporated with a conven- 35 tional heating system at a small cost.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

The figure is a diagrammatical view illustrating the application of my invention to a control lever for a heating appliance.

5 Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A generally indicates my improved device which comprises a cylinder 5 having heads 6 and '7 connected to the opposite ends thereof. The upper head 6 has connected therewith a diaphragm 8 of the bellows type. The interior of the diaphragm 8 communicates with the interior of the cylinder and the diaphragm and cylinder are filled with a liquid 9 which is responsive to atmospheric temperature changes. This liquid may be of any desired character, such as alcohol or the like. Extending into the lower end of the cylinder through the head 7 is a liquid conductor tube 10. A suitable packing gland 11 can be carried by the head 7 for surrounding the pipe or tube 10. This pipe or tube leads to so the lower end of an eXpansible-collapsible diaphragm 12, which is also preferably of the bellows type. As shown, I can provide a bracket 13 for rigid connection with any desired type of support and this bracket 13 may have connected therewith a nipple 14 to which is attached the eXpansible-collapsible diaphragm 12. The nipple 14 can communicate with a bore 15 formed in the bracket and this bore may extend through a hollow boss 16 to which the tube or m pipe 10 is connected by means of a nut 1'7.

In actual practice the eXpansible-collapsible diaphragm 12 is arranged adjacent to the heating device, which may be a furnace of any character, radiator or the like. The tube 5 is dis- 7 posed at a point remote from the heating appliance and can be arranged in a room or other part of a building, the temperature of which is to be controlled by the heating appliance.

In the drawing I have illustrated one type of control means to be actuated by the expansiblecollapsible diaphragm 12 for a furnace. As shown, this means embodies a lever 18 rockably mounted at one end as at 19 on the bracket 13 above the diaphragm 12. The upper end of the diaphragm 12 can be provided with a head 20 which carries a pivot 21. This pivot 21 can be provided with a knife edge and engages in a suitable notch formed in the lever 18 beyond its pivot point 19. The free end of the lever has pivotally connected therewith a link 22, which is in turn pivotally connected with a double ended lever 23. This lever 23 can be rockably supported intermediate its ends on a pintle 24 carried by a bracket 25. The lever 23 on each side of its pivot 21 can be provided with chains 26 and 2'7 which may lead to the control and check dampers of a furnace, when the device is utilized with such a heating appliance.

Arranged upon the swinging lever 18 between the pivot 21 of the diaphragm 12 and the link 22 is a weight 28 and this weight normally functions to hold the lever down on the diaphragm for actuating the double ended lever 23 when the diaphragm 12 collapses.

From the description so far, it can be seen that when the liquid 9 in the cylinder 5 expands or contracts according to the temperature of the atmosphere, this liquid will effect the diaphragm 12 and cause the diaphragm either to expand or 110 bracket 33.

contract and thereby operate the lever 18 and bring about the actuation of the dampers of the furnace or the valves of a radiator, as the case may be.

One of the salient features of my invention is the provision of means whereby the liquid in the cylinder 9 can be effected independently of atmospheric temperature. This means can be actuated manually so as to bring about the operation of the heat regulating device according to the wishes of an individual person or can be operated automatically by a time mechanism so that the heat regulating device can be automatically actuated at certain periods of the day, such as night and morning.

This means comprises a head 30 connected with the upper end of the diaphragm 8. The head 30 has secured thereto a push rod 31. The push rod 31 is slidably mounted in a guide sleeve 32. The guide sleeve 32 is in turn threaded in a bracket 33 which can be connected to the cylinder head 6. A second bracket 34 is connected with the first bracket 33 and extends over the sleeve 32 and carries a rotatable cam 35 which engages the upper end of the push rod 31. The rotatable cam 35 has connected therewith an operating crank 36 and this crank can be actuated manually or by a time mechanism as heretofore intimated.

Obviously, upon turning the cam 35 the same will actuate the push rod 31 which will in turn operate the diaphragm 8 to cause the liquid in the cylinder 9 to be affected which will in turn actuate the diaphragm 12 as heretofore explained. Initial adjustment may be had on the diaphragm 8 by turning the sleeve 32 on its supporting The weight 28 is also utilized for maintaining the pressure upon the diaphragm 12, so as to hold the fluid in the reservoir 5 and diaphragm 8. This prevents the forming of a vacuum in the upper end of the reservoir 5 and the diaphragm 8.

The pipe or tube 10 is preferably extended into the cylinder 5 below the low-er end of the cylinder, so as to prevent the entrance of sediment into the tube or pipe from the cylinder.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and durable heat regulator which is affected both by heat and by manual or clock controlled means.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

A thermohydraulic heat regulator comprising a cylinder, a liquid in said cylinder responsive to atmospheric temperature changes, an eXpansible collapsible element, a liquid conductor pipe connecting the cylinder and element together. a mechanical device operated from said element, a diaphragm carried by the upper end of the cylinder and communicating with the interior thereof, a bracket carried by the upper end of the cylinder and straddling the diaphragm, means for initially setting the diaphragm relative to the cylinder including an adjusting screw carried by the bracket and movable toward and away from the cylinder, said screw having an axial bore, and means for actuating the diaphragm including a push rod slidably mounted in the bore of the screw and engaging the diaphragm, a cam en aging the push rod, and a crank for actuating the cam.

MILTON S. WENZEL. 

